Bais City – Braving the scalding summer heat and the traffic off the National Highway where the event was held, six participant groups composed of 5 members each held their breath as they wait for the announcements to be made in the conclusion of the three-day 10 Kumainment Mural Painting Contest awarding ceremony conducted in front of their finished masterpieces on the walls of Bais City Pilot School on 10 April 2015. The Mural Painting Contest was initiated by the Media Information Network for Nutrition and Development (MIND 7) of NNC 7 with the Bais City Nutrition Committee. Bais CNC Chair Mayor Mercedes T. Goñi graced the awarding ceremony.
The event was a product of the brainstorming done by a multi-sectoral group put together to come up with strategies to promote the 10 Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF), and was later adopted by the MIND 7 in their 2015 Media Plan to raise awareness of the NGF in nutritionally at-risk populations. According to NPC Dr. Parolita A. Mission, the mural painting contest also aims to encourage the high school students and their families to practice good nutrition by involving them in the conceptualization and execution of the mural painting project. The involvement of families was specifically suggested by MIND 7 President and Station Manager of 103.5 RETRO Cebu, Mr. Raul H. Roxas to inclulcate the value of family, an important trait wanting these days.
Aside from being one of the highest raters in terms of malnutrition, Bais City was also chosen as the venue of said project because of its proximity to nutritionally depressed communities as well as that the area is accessible to different points in Negros Oriental.
The activity ended with Ms. Lesly Comiso-Magalso, chairperson of the Board of Judges and MIND 7 member announcing the winner of the contest as entry number 2 for Kumainment #3 for the first prize, followed by entry number 5: Kumainment #9 and the third prize going to entry number 6: Kumainment #10 with prizes at Php 8,000, Php 5,000 and Php 3,000 respectively. Bais CNC Chair and Mayor Goñi also gave her own “Mayor’s Choice” artistic rewards. //NGS
